


sway with me (don't speak)

by emilyrambles



Category: Amar a Muerte (TV)
Genre: Dancing, F/F, Fluff, Juliantina, Love Languages, had this in my head for a few days, they are so..... soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 14:43:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17900087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyrambles/pseuds/emilyrambles
Summary: Valentina is a master of the love languages, and she doesn’t even know it.And Juliana? Well, physical touch has always been hers.





	sway with me (don't speak)

**Author's Note:**

> two songs to listen to when reading this fic, its very important^TM:
> 
> 1) the title is taken from the song sway by tove styrke pls read the lyrics they are v important also i saw in this vid on tumblr so thank u for fueling my juliantina needs http://evilfishh.tumblr.com/post/182944550302/im-avoiding-studying-for-my-nclex-so-i-made-this
> 
> 2) also listen to the song that plays during ep 28 - eso es amor by eunel nueva era

Juliana has a rule.

Pay attention to love languages. They tell you a lot about a person.

According to the theory, each person has one primary and one secondary love language. It’s about expressing _and_ experiencing love. Better communication between couples can be achieved when one can demonstrate caring to the other person in the love language the recipient understands. Most people are so fixated on figuring out a person’s alignment to understand them better that they often forget to examine themselves. She’s spent far too long thinking about that in particular.

In between those long work shifts, selling lottery tickets, walking the streets and feeling like time deliberately slows when she’s out there just to spite her, she goes through the cycle. One foot in front of the other, look approachable, get lucky and sell a ticket. Repeat until she’s down to the last few pieces of paper in her hand, or it gets dark, and it’s usually the latter. The nature of the job means she gets trapped in her own thoughts most of the time. It’s a place she’d rather not be, but there’s ways to distract herself.

(Growing up, there were always coping mechanisms.)

And so she learns about love.

People watching becomes a favourite pastime. Couples are the easiest to spot, those with devotion in their eyes and intimacy in their hands, their love languages blossom across the spaces between them. Older couples have a worn-down style, molten and shaped into a shared language from decades of understanding each other. The younger couples strike together, sparks flying from constantly moving fingers or flaring up in passionate affairs. Friends have a different type of love language of course; mostly she just smiles softly at how seamless platonic love can be.

She doesn’t watch the families.

In the shower, turning the temperature up, blistering her skin and rubbing her arms red, scrubbing away her sins, letting the water pour over her face and down her spine, trickle in between her legs and wash away in an instant down the drain, she wonders if her own love language is obvious. Then the thoughts swirl at the back of her mind, and like the soap slipping from her fingers and falling to the tile with a soft thump, she’s reminded of how she was raised. How she’s been denied normality in her relationship with both of her parents, how fucked up it is. Her fists close involuntarily as she marvels in the hypocrisy of it all. They didn’t have a love language.

There it is, though. Juliana spends so long alone that she forgets how it feels to receive.

Then she has a conversation with a girl on a park bench and her whole world spins upside down.

There are five main love languages: gifts, acts of service, words of affirmation, quality time, and physical touch. She repeats them like a mantra in her head. Clings to them like the love she should’ve received.

Valentina Carvajal has at least three. It fits her, Juliana thinks. The most Valentina thing is to excel in _love_ ; exuberant in romance, it embodies her entire character that she’s fluent in multiple love languages. Smart and sharp in mind; confident and masterful in her own body. Juliana knows. She watches. She watches when Valentina thinks she’s not paying attention, she watches when Valentina falls asleep. She’s drawn in like gas to a bonfire. Useful on its own, a commodity at best, but combined with fire it fuels the nightmare with such ferocity the flames roar loud and rise high. It burns and burns and burns until there’s nothing left but orange embers, flickering against night skies in stark contrast.

Valentina is a master of the love languages, and she doesn’t even know it.

And yet, Juliana would place physical touch further down the mental list in comparison to the others. It’s not surprising that gift giving is one of Valentina’s love languages. She had barely spent any time with her before she found herself shirtless, because these things just seem to happen to her around women as gorgeous as Val, and before she knows it, Valentina’s stepping closer and reaching out to rest a necklace over her, letting it dangle down between her breasts.

“I’m not used to people giving me things.” It’s an admission, one that sounds more lonesome than Juliana wants it to, but Valentina doesn’t let it faze her. Instead, she just shrugs one shoulder and tells her to say thank you, which she does with a soft chuckle and a smile breaking out on her face. The guilt doesn’t take too long to rear its ugly head, and she laments at having nothing to give back to Valentina, but again, like a goddamn angel she’s there with the right answer.

“That’s not how it works. Just because I gave you something, doesn’t mean you have to give me something in return.” Valentina says it so simply, Juliana’s still thinking about it way later, lying in bed. What a lesson to learn. Even if she managed to offer Val her shirt, Valentina just gave her the dress right after. She knows she can’t win, and it’s not that she wants to or could if she tried. Gift giving is just not her thing, she feels too guilty having repeatedly nothing of merit to offer back. It’s why she stopped her friends getting her birthday gifts by the time she was thirteen. There was only so many times her friends could spend money on her and receive just a card back in return before the looks of pity and disappointment made her sick to her stomach. She’s used to not having things, but to deny someone else of them because of your own situation? It’s not worth the pain.

So gift gifting isn’t really her thing, but it’s so clearly Valentina’s. The girl has selfless written all over her. Altruism runs in her veins.

She supposes that it makes sense then that Valentina’s secondary love language is acts of service. Her third, quality time. And, if she’s being honest with herself, she might as well throw in words of affirmation too.

“Look how pretty you are.”

It sets her heart alight.

And Juliana? Well, physical touch has always been hers.

Even if her mind tells her to stop, her pulse stutters in anticipation, and her chest fills with fluttering butterflies, she can’t help but touch Valentina.

It’s addictive.

Exhilarating, but addictive.

Valentina has really soft hair. Just an observation, but a harmless one nonetheless.

They’re trying on stupid sunglasses and Juliana is losing count of the amount of times she’s running her fingers through Valentina’s hair, or placing her hands on her wrist, or letting her fingers linger longer than she should. Pausing momentarily to catch her breath after a particularly long stare into Valentina’s eyes, she hears music filter through the air and smiles.

_Eso es amor_ …

She _loves_ this song. She loves music. She loves the way music provides an escape; a journey from the moment the first note hits. A way to _feel_. Music seems to be a love language all on its own. Without even thinking she reaches out to grab Valentina’s hand with her right one, pulling her closer towards the music, and if Valentina happens to lean in a little closer as she does, then Juliana doesn’t mind that at all. She senses Valentina’s curiosity and before she’s even aware of what she’s asking, the words tumble from her mouth.

“Shall we dance?”

There’s a second of momentary panic as Val pulls her hand away and brushes it off as she can’t dance, but even over the music, Juliana hears the twinges of insecurity seep into Valentina’s usually so assured voice. Besides, women like Valentina should know how to dance, and Juliana isn’t going to take that for an answer. You know, chivalry and all that, and in the interest of education…

“Come on.” It’s like a script in an old romance movie from the black and white era, the way her hand seems to always find Valentina’s again, and she grasps hold once more to pull her down the steps towards the class, refusing to listen to Val’s excuses.

They step towards the front of the class, and Juliana’s having _fun_ now, immediately focusing on the teacher and copying her steps, moving into the rhythm with an easy transition. She’s only acutely aware of Valentina moving awkwardly next to her, but the song seems louder now. She feels it, the meaning behind it, the lyrics and melody, all tingling under her skin with electricity.

_Eso es amor… cuando extrañas 24 horas al día…_

Her foot lands the next step in perfect time and she flicks her eyes up to see Valentina retreating, practically waving her white flag of defeat. Juliana tries to move her back into the rhythm but Val’s already too far away, and is quite clearly content with just watching her dance. Huh.

_Eso es amor… si la consideras tu vida, tu alegría, tu pasión y compañía…_

And yeah, maybe she feels Valentina’s heavy gaze settle on her, raising the hairs on the back of her neck, and yeah maybe she sways her hips a little more risqué than she usually would, but it’s all just _fun_. Then again, it’s not as fun if Valentina isn’t there to dance with her. Juliana smiles at the teacher and steps away from the class, much to Valentina’s perhaps too eager protests to tell her to carry on, and instead finds Valentina’s hand with hers.

They find themselves in a secluded area near the dance class, and Juliana laughs as Valentina seems quite determined to _not_ learn how to do this. “You don’t have to know _how_ to dance, just dance.” _Follow my rhythm_ …

Valentina waves her arm dramatically, “You say that because you do it beautifully, so you don’t understand my embarrassment.” Her heart beats just that little bit quicker after Val calls her dancing beautiful, but what has Valentina ever got to be embarrassed about? Before Juliana can even get her whole reassurance speech out there, Valentina’s eyes light up as she says, “You’re gonna teach me how to dance.”

The panic is immediate like a vice around her chest. “What? No! You think I look like a teacher?” This is the most typical Valentina move yet: they were just participating in an actual class with a certified dance instructor and she wants Juliana to now teach her the moves? She has only seconds to think about it before Valentina is rambling about being invited somewhere and not knowing how to dance, and then the sudden thought of their swimming lessons together slips into her mind. If she teaches Valentina how to dance then they’re even. Right?

Val shakes her hand in some kind of mock deal and she has to stop herself from grinning too widely at the cuteness of it all, but then uses the excuse of already having Val’s hand to begin taking a stance.

“Give me your hand.” She speaks softer than before, but gives an edge of firmness to her voice so Valentina knows she’s in control. Her student is more than happy to oblige however, when she tells her to place one hand on her shoulder, and then moves her own hand to rest high up Valentina’s ribcage.

_Uno, dos, tres, cuatro…_

They follow the simple rhythm of Juliana’s counting for a few rounds, and it’s funny because the music may have stopped from up here, but she can still hear _eso es amor_ every time she looks at the girl in front of her. Val lets out a cute giggle of joy in excitement that she’s matching the steps, but Juliana’s resolve almost breaks when she realises Val’s been looking at their feet this entire time.

She swallows nervously. “You know what?”

“What?” Valentina tightens her grip on Juliana’s shoulder as she takes a moment to pause before speaking again.

“When you dance like this, you look each other in the eyes.” Juliana’s knees suddenly feel weak as she watches Valentina glance up and down, protesting that she couldn’t possibly do both at the same time. She’s like a fairytale deer, with the doe eyes and the long gangly legs, and Juliana grins at the thought. _Stop getting so distracted, Juls._

“Hold onto me and let’s do it again. Follow me.” the teacher voice is only a mask for her bravado, because Valentina is definitely shifting her body to move closer to her.

“Okay… okay, you lead.” Valentina sounds more confident too, and Juliana almost rolls her eyes. As if she’d let Bambi take control now…

She begins the counting again, soft and firm once more so Valentina can keep focused, because this time she’s not looking at their feet but into Juliana’s eyes, and the cliché is right there and Juliana hates herself for it, but the way the sunlight hits the watery blue of Valentina’s iris and cuts across her face to extenuate her jawline catches her beauty so perfectly, and Juliana thinks she has the most precious thing in the whole entire world right between her arms.

She bites her lip.

Valentina notices.

_Uno, dos, tres, cuatro…_

Her hand involuntarily slides its way up the side of Valentina’s body the split second she feels the left hand on her hip push and grip the material of her shirt as she sways.

She stops counting after a while, and Valentina stops worrying about their feet or her own dancing. Staring into Juliana’s eyes is the only move she needs to communicate.

Their own love language.

_y hay una magia en tu alma, eso es amor…_

**Author's Note:**

> i'm an english speaker so if i've made any mistakes with the spanish please someone get in touch i tried very hard to follow all the translations on youtube and google as best as i could
> 
> anyways follow me @ palmsdreams.tumblr.com talk to me about them !


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